Heartbeat [Alec Volturi]

Bond

All in all, Alec and I lasted about eight hours.

Once the awkwardness had worn off and the remaining guard members dispersed Renata and I ended up getting along quite well. She let me sit with her while she watched the human world fall apart on one laptop and simultaneously explored their world on the other. The third stayed shut.

Being with Renata was calming. She had neither Heidi's high energy, high expectations vibe nor Chelsea's judgemental tone. I understood Renata to be more of a loner, but she lacked the general moodiness I would expect in such a category. She offered me a polite smile whenever I asked a question and patiently explained the answer. Patient – that's what she was. Patient enough to stand behind Aro every day and spend hours looking at a species she no longer belonged to. Patient enough to answer all my questions. Like Alec.

She showed me how she found news articles from areas that didn't have reliable reporting and other internet exploration techniques. She wouldn't let me try, though. Apparently, after my escape attempt, I had been restricted from not just phones but all electronics. A rule that Demetri and Felix apparently ignored whenever they turned on donkey kong or something. After I'd spent enough time looking over her shoulder, she agreed to ask Aro to reconsider.

We stayed in the rec room, or whatever they called it, for about three hours, but no one came over again. Some waved as they left, but overall, the room took Prosper at his word. Still, brief glances and whispers had me questioning if they were as curious about me as I was about them.

Once Prosper managed to return me to my room around the time I should be asleep, he thought he'd been successful. However, my mind quickly changed about sleep. I had trouble wanting to physically do it.

Much to Prosper's dismay, as I had been traveling room to room from when the door closed to this very moment. It wasn't my fault the bedrooms in this castle were practically mini apartments. It provided me with plenty of activities to keep my mind processing at the speed it had been all day.

I was currently on the seventh activity I'd taken up since 'going to bed.'

I started my sleep avoidance by trying to clear my vanity. Heidi had placed all these bottles of hair and makeup products on it, and they overwhelmed the space. Initially, I thought they were something stupidly decorative before actually reading them. Boredom attracted me easily, so with Heidi on the brain, I decided to see the updates she'd likely made to the closet. There were always a few new pieces in there, even though I had a section in Alec's wardrobe that was steadily growing.

After trying to find a suitable nighttime outfit, putting the items back on the hangers did not sound like a fun task. That was the first time Prosper reminded me to go to bed, his voice echoing through the door, so I wandered into the bathroom. I checked myself for bruises, cuts (though I'd probably already know about those), and any other injuries before turning the shower on. Except, the shampoo was almost out, so I let the water run cold while I went to look for more under the sink. And then in the cabinets. Until I finally remembered to turn off the shower, at which point I decided bed was a decent idea.

The closet, however, had clothes scattered across the floor, and I didn't feel like looking for something to sleep in, not with Heidi's ridiculous concept of pajamas. Everything was silky, and the shirts were too slick, not to mention the heat it trapped in. The latter almost made it a dangerous choice for me to actually sleep in. So, after glancing once for night clothes, I decided to find a book to read instead. On the way, I kicked a piece of chalk.

Hence, my current seat in front of the chalk wall. Unfortunately, opening my mind to a creative process allowed for the darker thoughts to walk right through and declare ownership before I could begin decorating. So when I glanced up to see Alec had stashed my forged painting that John had found in my father's friend's home between the bedside table and the wall, rather than in his chambers, I was locked. He certainly didn't want anyone else near it, and he likely had not considered that I would be in this room again for quite a while. And I was definitely on that list. It was the right choice.